Anyone used Build Team for side return extension?

[buggie]

...as it says above really!

We're looking to do a side return extension next summer, got a quote from these guys & impressed with their pitch. The guy we saw said they'd done some local projects & wondered if anyone could let us know how they found them to deal with/are they happy with the finished result?

TIA

[AandM]

We weren't happy with them at all so switched builder.

[Awkward Knee]

Unfortunately, we did decide to go ahead with Build Team to build our side return extension.

We experienced two teams of sub contractors, workers walking off site and not returning, an electrician that threatened to cut all of his recently installed cabling, extremely poor carpentry work and a missing damp proof membrane that should have been fitted under the party wall coping stones

The whole build ended with a roof that was so poorly constructed that Building Control wouldn't sign off on it and the Lead Sheet Association's main surveyor stated that he'd never seen such a poor piece of workmanship.

We suffered an extremely depressing 11 month build before everything was finally signed off.

[MarkEdenBuildTeam]

My name is Mark Eden and I am the Construction Director and co-owner of Build Team.

I have read the comments relating to Build Team in this thread and wanted to put forward our version of events so that readers can judge accordingly. I will be nothing other than fair, factual and balanced with my comments.

With regards to the post by AandM ?We weren't happy with them at all so switched builder.?, I am not aware of a build contract that Build Team have started and not completed. We do, however, offer all of our clients a Two-Stage design and build service, whereby following completion of the fixed-fee Design Phase (Stage 1), clients are free to tender the project to other contractors for Stage 2. It may be that this is what had happened with AandM. With regards to their complaint, if they would like to contact me at [email protected], or by phone: 020 7495 6561 or mobile 07950 555102 I would be very happy to investigate and respond accordingly.

With regards to the experience of Awkward Knee; I was the Project Manager from start to finish and have a very detailed knowledge of the project. There would appear to be 3 areas of dissatisfaction: management of sub-contractors, adherence to programme and quality of workmanship.

Dealing with each one in turn:

Management of Sub-Contractors. The client is quite right to point out that I deployed two separate teams to the project. One of the driving factors here (also relevant to programme) was the discovery during the initial groundworks phase of the project of a mains public sewer, owned by Thames Water, and sitting directly beneath the proposed location of the reinforced concrete pad foundations. We had to overcome this with a redesign of the proposed supporting structure by our Engineer. There was additional steelwork required ? which had to be ordered and fabricated ? as well as additional concreting required. This added to the programme, and also meant that I needed to recalibrate my site team accordingly.

I am also aware of the incident with the Electrician. This was a new sub-contractor to Build Team who, as it transpired, wanted to invoice us for work that he had not undertaken. His way of dealing with that was to attempt to hold us to ransom by threatening to cut the cables after they had been installed. This was, in my view, totally unacceptable and I went to site to ask him to leave. I must stress this was an isolated incidence, and I would like readers to understand that issues like this can and do occur in the construction industry ? however, clients place their trust and custom in Build Team to manage such issues on their behalf ? and whilst we can?t always stop them happening, we do commit and guarantee to our clients to be there if they do. I believe we did manage this situation, and have subsequently put in place procedures to vet more thoroughly the specialist sub-contractors we employ.

Adherence to Programme. In addition to the Side Return, the client also contracted Build Team to hack off the pebble dash to the rear fa?ade of his 3-storey Victorian home and undertake works to the frontage of the property. Further, after the rear fa?ade had been scaffolded and pebble dash hacked off, the client asked us to consider a high performance external thermal insulation. There were several telephone discussions, site meetings and specification reviews ? before it was decided to apply a standard render coat. With the Side Return, the client wished to vary the specification of rooflights from Velux to an architectural product called Neo midway through the build. We duly accommodated this request ? however, the Neo rooflights, as we pointed out to the client at the time, are manufactured bespoke and have a 21 day lead time. Further, through no fault of our own, the rooflights were supplied without the necessary linking bars. It is simply inaccurate and unfair to imply that the construction of the client?s Side Return took 11 months. For reasons that were beyond our control, it did take longer than a standard build ? but the client was kept aware of the programme and issues impacting it throughout the build.

Quality of Workmanship. The client refers to poor quality carpentry work, a missing damp proof membrane and an issue relating to the lead flashing used to weather the pitched roof. There were snagging issues relating to some of the 2nd fix carpentry work, however all of these were rectified in full as part of the snagging programme. He is right to point out that the coping stones were laid without a DPM. This was a genuine oversight which has now been rectified. Finally, with regards to the leadwork, this has also been rectified in full.

In more general terms, the project is now complete, fully certificated and the client has paid the outstanding balance in full. There were some issues along the way which we have learnt from and have addressed our processes as a result. I hope the client sees Build Team for what we believe we are: an honest, hardworking and committed company that will stick around through thick and thin to get the job done.

[The Nappy Lady]

Hi Buggie,

We (and also my boss for her build!!), used the very amazing, very wonderful 102 interiors and honestly I cannot recommend them highly enough. The process from start to finish was AMAZING.

http://www.102interiors.co.uk

That's the good news!

The bad news is they are so brilliant that they are booked up for about the next 2 years I think (check website as it shows their bookings on there).

But really?.worth waiting for. Plenty of time to do your research, meet with them to get the planning process rolling etc and to save up a bit more money if need be.

They did our kitchen and our master bathroom and whilst living in a house during a huge build is never easy, they really did make the entire process about as good as it could be. We finished on budget, slightly (not seriously) over time, but with the MOST amazing home. Everyone who has seen it, even other tradesmen have commented on the quality of the work.

Honestly, I don't think I would ever use another builder now!

Do you want to come and look, you know where I am.

xxxx

[TC1]

I have to say that my experience of Build team was not good. I definitely would not use them again here is why...

We invited build team out to come and quote I met the Director onsite and was very impressed with him and the fact we could do everything under one umbrella including the build, I didnt realise we would be so restricted by the lack of ability to move forward quickly or I definitely would not have gone ahead. I made it clear to the Director that we are expecting our 2nd child in October and we really wanted to get this extension done before then, that I wanted a team that could work fast and ensure we moved as quickly as possible. He was confident this could happen! After this point we got past over to the 'team' and the service levels dropped off significantly and the process was so SLOW, we've had to write off money and go elsewhere in order to achieve our goal of October.

The architectual process was tedious and slow as we had to put all changes through the Admin lady often this would take 2-3 days per change. I genuinely believe using an architectual firm would be easier and you can just pick up the phone talk to them directly and thrash it out. When I did try to call Qarib I was told to go through Amy... it was so tedious! Secondly when it did finally get submitted we were told to send a cheque to our council so they can accept the application... why again lose 2 days post, 5 days of cheque being banked when you can call and do over the phone? This is something that they could easily have advised especially as I kept parroting 'I really need to move fast!'

After planning application had accepted a friend mentioned that there's no way planning would be approved with a tree being so close to our house. Why on earth they didnt note this on there site visits I dont know?? So we frantically got this tree taken down before the planning officer turned up!

Planning can take up to 8 weeks so wanted to use this time to get contractors to quote/ get the structural calculations done/building control submitted so that when it did get accepted we could start immediately. We were told there fast-track service costs an additional ?500+vat???!!! Why were we not advised of this earlier from the outset??? Especially as i made it clear I needed to move FAST! The other issue was if paid for the fast track service but then realised the building quote was not competitive and decided to use our own contractors build teams structural engineers would not be contactable for any questions about the work they had done!!!

I asked the Admin assistant to pass on all the above concerns to the directors...I was told there was no flexibility. I made it clear that I would be sharing my experience online as I felt they were not treating us fairly.. e.g. we had paid for a structural engineer up front it would cost them no more get him out earlier at all! IF things did need to be changed after planning had been approved then yes charge us a surcharge for this as we obviously took the risk of using what we had paid for earlier than recommended. The response 'This is our policy'. Completely unflexible!

We then found out the plans had been submitted in the wrong size to the council ( again losing us about a week!)

Then our planning application was pulled to go to committee. We asked for advice- none was forthcoming/ asked to speak to the director- told he was out of the office. Eventually we paid a separate planning consultant to help us prepare a statement to read on the day. This was a very stressful time for us, build team didnt offer any reassurance about the process and what to expect.

When planning did get approved we asked them to send their structural engineer out, we were thinking at this point to write off the money we paid them and pay another structural engineer as it we couldnt bare to move at snail pace any longer. The last email we have from them is that someone will contact us to come around and do the calculations. This was over a month ago... no one did contact us.

So we've written off some the cash we paid them for structural work, we have now done the structural calculations ourselves and started our build. We are so glad we drew the line and moved away from them.

Please dont be fooled by the smart brochure/website. I wish i had googled them as I have found 2 other negative reviews under google and this thread aswell. If i had just read them I would have saved myself a lot of stress and time!

[rachelsatterthwaite]

Hello. My name is Rachel Satterthwaite and I?m the Head of Design Operations at Build Team.

Firstly, I would like to thank Ms. Coley for the time she has taken to write this extensive review. As a valued client, we take her feedback seriously. Expanding upon this, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the following points; the aim of this is to provide to the wider readership with a balanced view.

#1 - TWO STAGE PROCESS:

Build Team offers a two-stage, no obligation process. The first comprises the ?Design? phase and the second, the ?Build? phase. These stages are split to provide the client with full control, and flexibility over their desired service(s). Ms. Coley only contracted Build Team for the Design Phase.

#2 - INTERNAL TIMELINES:

We pride ourselves on our time and cost efficiency as well as flexibility, which allow us to tailor to our client?s specific requirements. With regards to the former, we respectively draw attention to the following timelines, which are within our control and were performed substantially faster than the going market standard:

(i) Measured Survey: reserved, confirmed and conducted in less than 3 working days from time of instruction,

(ii) Council mandated design changes: performed, reviewed and updated in less than 3 working days,

(iii) Submission of updated scheme: post client approval, this was completed within 1 working day.

#3 - EXTERNAL TIME FACTORS:

Expanding upon #2, it is important for all clients to note that there are factors that are outside of Build Team?s control. Such examples include but are not limited to: (i) timelines associated with local Councils? planning review and approval, and (ii) Councils? preferred form of payment.

In respect of (i): local Councils? do not have any contractual obligation to meet any deadline for any design and or build firm or, for that matter, any individual. That said, at Build Team we ensure that all of our clients are made aware of this prior to initiation of services. Moreover, we proactively chase and follow-up should a delay occur.

In respect of (ii): every Council has different forms of receiving payment in relation to the planning fee. In Ms. Coley?s case the local Council?s preferred route for settlement was cheque ? which was respectively conveyed. At Build Team, we?re happy to provide guidance and support to any client who is unsure of their Council?s preferred route of payment.

#4 - COUNCIL EXPECTATIONS:

Expanding upon local Council obligations as noted above in #3, it?s also important to note there is no ?standard? drawing set that a Council requires. Ultimately approval is at the discretion of the Case Officer ? they deem what is acceptable and will frequently respond to us requesting modifications or additional information (this is standard practice). At Build Team we are transparent about this; though we do our utmost to ensure the process is as smooth as possible. I should also point out that any amendments required by the council in this regard are untaken free of charge by Build Team.

#5 - CLIENT CONTACT:

We cater to each of our clients? contact needs. Be the preferred method, via telephone calls, e-mails and or face-to-face meetings. The method, or methods, of contact is entirely at your discretion ? and we adapt to whatever works best for the client. Our design studio is open from 09:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday. In Ms. Coley?s case, and at her direction, contact was restricted to email only.

#6 - POINT OF CONTACT:

At Build Team we strive to make, the process, as streamlined and smooth as possible. To aid with this, and unlike many of our competitors, we do not pass you from one person to the next; rather we have appointed a dedicated Architectural Assistant (in Ms. Coley?s case this was Amy) to liaise with all, Design-related client contact. On our side, this ensures that all communication is fully co-ordinated, and from the client side you have a named point of contact you can trust that will work with you throughout the duration of the Design phase.

#7 - DESIGN QUESTIONS / CHANGES:

Taking note of Ms. Coley?s review, there are several sub-sections that are relevant to cover:

(i) TREE: in Ms. Coley?s review, she noted the positioning of a tree. It is pertinent for our clients, and those considering entering a Design and or Build phase that the location of a tree does not necessarily affect every planning application. As noted above, this is at the sole discretion of the local Council Case Officer.

(ii) AMENDMENTS: prior to the initiation of services, we explain our ?Design? stage carefully. We are fully open and transparent about our policies and indeed we send out full details of our Terms of Business to all clients prior to instruction. Expanding upon this point, it is not uncommon for a local Council Case Officer to request small amendments to drawings in order to meet their satisfaction, thus enabling planning approval. At Build Team, such amendments are made free of charge and acting as the client?s agent, we do everything possible to gain consent.

(iii) STRUCTURAL CALCULATIONS: taking note of the control-function role the Case Officer has, it is standard market practice to await planning approval prior to producing, and by extension subsequently providing, structural calculations and drawings. At Build Team we do offer a ?fast track? service that allows us to produce the structural drawings earlier. This is a bespoke offering, which given the supplementary, specialist time and involvement, does incur an additional cost. If this service is selected and in the event the case officer requests any amendments, we make these and amend the structural calculations free of charge.

(iv) STRUCTURAL QUESTIONS: all of the necessary information required to produce the structural calculations and drawings are obtained at the measured survey. As one might expect, until the structural drawings are made ? questions relating to structural specifics are caveated on a best endeavours basis, with definitive answers provided once the drawings are available. In Ms. Coley?s case, upon planning approval, Ms. Coley said she would like the make amendments to the approved design. On this basis, we are awaiting her confirmation and instruction to proceed with the structural calculations.

I do hope that this fairly and fully addresses both Ms. Coley?s feedback and any questions that readers of this review may have. If you wish to read a more holistic catalogue of reviews, please visit: http://www.buildteam.com/about-us/testimonials.html. Alternatively, please feel free to give us a call or pop-in and see us anytime in Clapham. We genuinely welcome client feedback and whilst not every project is straightforward, at Build Team we strive to resolve issues in an open, honest and collaborative manner.

[TC1]

I do feel the need to respond as there are inconsistencies in Ms Rachel Satterthwait comments above and i don't like seeing blatant lies.

Two stage process- We would have contracted Build team for the build, we always intended to but we were exhausted at the inflexibility and lack of good customer service. Also no one contacted us as promised to have a pre construction meeting this is despite Amy stating in our last email quote 'My colleague Gisele who works with our Construction Team, will be in touch to arrange your Pre Contract Meeting.'

No one ever contacted us!!!....great customer service!

Council expectations- in order to meet your company goal 'to tailor to our client?s specific requirement' which in my case was to move fast, why not ask the council if there are any other ways to move things along quicker? This is a really easy way for you to improve as a business for clients who need to move fast. The council were more than happy to let me pay over the phone.. All I did was ask..saved over a week. You could have easily of done this aswell. Again lacking in customer service.

Client contact- I appreciate we were delegated Amy, but there were many occasions we really needed to speak to a senior authority. No one was able to call us/ speak to us ever apart from Amy despite our consistent requests. This left us feeling as though no one actually cared, especially when our case got pulled to go to committee, we needed someone of experience to talk through this with us. It was not forthcoming.I believe Amy has only worked for your company since January so i think at times its important senior figures step in when necessary. This did not happen in our case which was very frustrating and showed a company that doesn't really care after you sign up!

I was never offered/given the opportunity to come to the design studio- nor did I direct that i ONLY wished contact to be restricted to email. Again a fabrication.

Design- I appreciate each case officer is different but honestly a company that claims to have the experience that you do should have flagged the tree up period. When we bought it to your attention you did advice us to take it down.. this should have come from the architect not from us.

The fast track service costs should be transparent AND in your T&C's which it was not...I still believe Buildteam could have offered some flexibility but absolutely none was forthcoming.

I dont think more 'holistic catalogue of reviews' can be found on your company wesbite. Of course they will be BIAS!!!

If anyone wishes to read real reviews of this company both good and bad they can be found if you type in google

'Buildteam google plus reviews' unfortunately this site wont let me copy the link.

I noted that one of the other reviews seemed to echo mine which further shows that this company needs to take a good look at how they manage clients after signing up .

Also since posting my review I had a previous customer contact me sharing his negative experience. Not good right?

So in summary proceed with caution!

Good luck

[ED_Neighbour]

My experience with Build Team is uncannily similar to TC1?s. It caused me enormous stress, time and money. We too faced a slow and tedious architectural process, a reactive approach to project management and a lack of advice and guidance throughout the design stage. Needless to say we decided not to work with them for the build stage.

I guess I hadn?t really considered the downsides of working with a large Design & Build company with hundreds of clients. That said, their design team is actually quite small and you can see they struggle to give each client the service they claim to.

I had many gripes, some more consequential than others but all of them were incredibly irritating and frustrating. It was very clear that I was the one that had to drive the process forward, since my ?project manager? was purely reactive. I was continually calling and emailing them and the amount of chasing I had to do reminded me of what it was like to buy a house. Even more annoyingly, my calls were never returned by a call but by email only, meaning a series of 3 ? 4 questions would takes weeks to unpick.

Like TC1, senior management were very reluctant to step in when needed, an apology was rarely offered and there was one instance when I felt I was being lied to to cover up a mistake that resulted in our planning application being delayed for 3 further weeks, taking the process almost 12 weeks. Apparently, Build Team were unaware that Lewisham Planning Authority (LPA) required us to display a public notice outside our house. They say, it is something they have never had to do with any other local authority and for LPA it was a new initiative that they had not been made aware of. I quickly called LPA who confirmed this policy had been in place ?for donkey?s years?. I think it is really telling that Build Team had to cover their mistake in such a way and demonstrates a lack of honesty and sincerity.

Our design manager also caused unnecessary stress during the party wall (PW) process. BTW, we did not use Build Team for our PW agreement as we wanted impartial representation ? something our neighbours certainly appreciated. Just after planning permission was granted, our neighbour quite legitimately wanted us to amend our plans. However, we were told we would need to dramatically alter our design to comply, which would require submitting a new planning application! Clearly, I was really alarmed by this news, yet my cries for help were met by a lack of concern and a lot of confusion. I tried to escalate my case but I quickly got the impression from the rest of the team that the design manager had jumped the gun and perhaps a redesign was not required. However, rather than admit fault, they would only tell me to consult my contractor and this wasn?t within their remit. After 3 weeks of chasing for a clearer explanation and no call from the director, Dan Davidson, despite my request, I gave up and chose to seek help from another company.

Whether you face problems with Build Team or not, I do feel the need to point out factors that will undoubtedly affect all clients.

1) POINT OF CONTACT: Their office based team is small. Take a look at the ?Meet the Team? page of their website, where the names, job titles and CVs of each employee are listed. I rarely had the opportunity to speak with any of the senior team, even when something went wrong. Most of the time communication must go via a ?project manager?, who?s experience and skills are more akin to an admin assistant ? again check out their ?Meet the Team? page. My project manager was a recent university graduate with a short amount of work experience in PR. Inevitably she was unable to answer my queries and ended up being a middle man / gatekeeper.

2) CLIENT CONTACT: Despite Build Team?s sales pitch, you will initially be offered one method of communication ? having to pass everything via the admin assistant. Only once you get frustrated, will any other form of communication be offered and even then it is very restrictive. Don?t be fooled by the promise of a tailored approach ? everything is very reactive and inflexible.

3) TWO STAGE PROCESS: If you decided not to use Build Team for the Build Phase, be very aware of the clause added to their structural calculations document. ?In the event that a contractor other than Build Team Holborn Limited is appointed to execute the works, Build Team Holborn Limited accept no liability whatsoever for the specification, calculation or other information as it so exists pertaining to the proposed works contained herewith.? If we had chosen to work with an independent structural engineer that was not aligned to a building firm, we would not have faced this restriction which I think is fundamentally important.

4) FEES: Build Team have lots of fees that are not disclosed before signing up with them. For example, if a sewer is discovered in your garden that affects the build, Build Team charge a hefty fee to sort this out. At this point you will be tied to them, so there is no incentive for them to charge competitive rates. Be warned! If, after reading these reviews, you are insistent on working with them, ask for a full list of fees. Not only will this give you an idea of future potential costs, it will also provide you with an itemised list of all the potential problems that could arise during the design and construction phase. Some of these problems are unavoidable, but some can be anticipated far earlier in the process than Build Team let on. The sooner you know about them, the more options you will have to resolve them. You do not want to be at the company?s / contractor?s mercy later down the line!

In summary, I certainly did not feel Build Team strived to resolve my issues in an open, honest and collaborative manner. I could not wait to stop working with them. In hindsight, I wish I had worked with an independent architect and structural engineer as I would have had open access to speak to them, rather than an admin assistant. I also got the feeling that the design team had no incentive to offer the most appropriate and cost effective solution for me. It was almost in their interests to design something that was more expensive to build ? yes, we had the option to go out to tender, but ultimately other contractors were all quoting off the same specification. Cynical perhaps, but this is impression Build Team have left on me.

[ext_newbie]

After reading these reviews and hearing by word of mouth, we decided not to work with Build Team for our side return and loft conversion. We nearly got caught up in their glossy website and sales pitch. It looks like we have dodge a bullet with that company.

[alaska721]

I'm currently having my side return extended and I've gone down the route of finding an architect first, then the structural engineer and then tendering out the contract to several builders and eventually picking the builder that I wanted to work on my project.

I have no experience of Build Team but a good friend of mine who is an architect told me to avoid these one-stop shops. They offer little creativity and churn out bog-standard designs.

I am wary of Build Team's online calculator. When I entered in my criteria it came up with an a cost of approx ?45k (including glass roof, removing chimney breast and under floor heating). The four quotes I received from local builders when I tendered out my contract all ranged between ?80k-85k including VAT. All four quotes excluded the cost of the kitchen and glazing so I am spending in excess of ?100k on my extension. I believe Build Team's calculator is unrealistic and underestimates the true cost.

[poppet27]

Thank you Alaska for sharing the specifics. It's helpful for us to know what kind of figures people are actually paying as we too, feel swamped with quotes & not sure what's average and rational (we're weighing up side return only vs. side return + 3m extension).

Would love to hear how the others and OP get on once their work is done. Good luck

[dulwichquine]

@poppet27 I would go for as much space as you can get if doesn't impinge on garden/neighbours. You may well be kicking yourself down the line. Feel free to pm me as we are doing wrap around extension at moment.

[stephevans1986]

Build Team are not to be trusted, they caused extreme stress for my friend who employed them for the build. Plus there was loads of hidden costs so don't believe the ?2995 design cost.

Extreme caution with this company.

[rachelsatterthwaite]

Hello. My name is Rachel and I am the Design Operations Manager at Build Team.

Firstly, I would like to thank all participants of this chain for their valued comments and feedback. At Build Team we take feedback, from clients, prospects and wider parties, seriously. Noting several of the comments within this chain, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify on our design phase and the associated cost:

Build Team offers a two-stage, no obligation process. The first comprises the ?Design? phase and the second, the ?Build? phase. These stages are split to provide our clients with full control and flexibility over their desired service(s). In respect of the former (Design), we offer a fixed-fee, kitchen extension service for ?2995 (+VAT). This fixed-fee package includes everything you need to build: from detailed drawings to structural calculations, as well as overseeing the planning application to get a viable scheme (for full details, please see: http://www.buildteam.com/what-we-do/architectural-design-phase-page.html).

For those clients that wish to further tailor their Design experience, additional services are available. Examples include: loft design & engineering, interior design, landscape architecture and our party-wall service. These options are made fully transparent to clients prior to instruction, and are explicitly noted in the initial quotation. A significant proportion of our clients do elect for one or more of these services, as they value our joined-up expertise and the simplicity of having a single point of contact. However, I must stress that the additional services are completely optional and there is no obligation whatsoever to contract Build Team to undertake these.

More recently we have added a new Fast Track service, for those clients that wish to tender their scheme during the planning stages. This is a bespoke option that leverages accelerated specialist time and involvement from our structural engineer and architectural team. This option provides two key benefits: firstly, the accelerated production of the structural calculations enabling greater flexibility; secondly, in the event a case-officer requests amendment(s) during the planning window, the drawings and structural calculations are modified as part of the Fast Track fee.

We recognise that embarking on a major project such as a loft conversion or kitchen extension can be a daunting experience and clients want, quite rightly, to ensure they are with a team they can trust. To this end, we have recently launched Studio Tours and we cordially invite all prospective clients to come and meet our architectural team at our head office in Clapham. You will have the opportunity to meet us, and see how the design and build functions of Build Team interact with one another under the same roof. We will provide you with an overview of how we work, answer any questions you may have and introduce you to our dedicated Design Team. We are also happy to talk through any design queries or feasibility questions, and if you bring some photos of your property, we do our best to provide you with a quick sketch! All of this is completely free, and without any obligation to progress further.

If you have any queries, please don?t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected] or call 020 7495 6561.

[kerryplatman]

I have been using Build Team?s Design Service since March 2015. I?d had discussions with various architects before this, but decided to opt for a specialist firm which offered a one-stop shop and which had a lot of expertise in side returns. I?ve been impressed with Build Team?s service. Staff tend to be super-efficient and keen to sort out queries fast. They advised me to go for full planning permission and the process was entirely problem-free. I?m sure this was in part because of their expertise in handling these kinds of applications, and knowing what Islington Council required of them in advance.

[zoebl]

Please, please, please avoid Build Team at all costs, I can't give too much detail as we are being forced down the legal route with them - but I wanted to add our experience onto this thread to help others avoid the stress we have endured.

In summary, terrible build quality (with major issues discovered by an independent surveyor), ineffectual project management (our project manager had no experience and had never managed a building project before) and disgraceful customer service. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

I will write a further post with full details, including the surveyors report once I can.

[ED_Neighbour]

Goodness, I'm so sorry to hear that Zoe. I hope you get things sorted out soon. Very very stressful.

[MarkEden]

My name is Mark Eden and I am the Construction Director and co-owner of Build Team.

I have read the comments relating to Build Team from ?zoebl? and I want to acknowledge the post on this forum.

I have met with these clients personally, and on more than one occasion, to try and resolve the issues in dispute. The demands placed on Build Team are ones that are completely unreasonable and as such, we cannot comply with.

We are aware that there are outstanding items with this project, and Build Team would like the opportunity to return and complete the project in accordance with the contract. To this end, we remain open to resolving the dispute amicably and hope this can be achieved. Either way, we do not feel forums are the right place to resolve such disputes and we do not wish to prejudice our position in all matters.

More generally, and now entering our 9th year, I do consider Build Team to be a fair, honest and committed company. I recognise that this thread has developed into a discussion platform. I would like to take this opportunity to point out that we do have lots of very satisfied clients, and we would encourage any prospective clients to contact us for references, as I do not feel some of the comments made in this thread are representative of us as a company.

[kerryplatman]

I have been using Build Team?s Design Service since March 2015. I?d had discussions with various architects before this, but decided to opt for a specialist firm which offered a one-stop shop and which had a lot of expertise in side returns. I?ve been impressed with Build Team?s service. Staff are super-efficient and keen to sort out queries fast. They advised me to go for full planning permission and the process was entirely problem-free. I?m sure this was in part because of their expertise in handling these kinds of applications, and knowing what Islington Council required of them in advance.

[Administrator]

On Nov 10th there was a post by kerryplatman, exactly the same as the one today, 24th Nov but I removed it because it was suspicious.

The IP address for kerryplatman is exactly the same as the one for MarkEden.

A check on that IP comes up with the domain sidereturnandloft.co.uk http://www.checkip.com/ip/92.27.28.149

A whois search on that domain shows it is registered to Dan Davidson at an address at SW4 6DH http://www.nominet.uk/whois/?query=sidereturnandloft.co.uk#whois-results

The Build Team is registered to an address at SW4 6DH http://www.buildteam.com/contact.html, their Managing Director is called Dan Davidson http://buildteam.com/press_releases/dan-davidson-is-selected-as-a-finalist-in-the-great-british-entrepreneur-awards.html

They have done some work for a Mrs/Ms Kerry Platman in Islington http://www.islington.gov.uk/publicrecords/library/Planning-and-building-control/Publicity/Public-notices/2015-2016/(2015-06-08)-04.06.15-dc-list-of-planning-applications-by-received-date-(members).pdf

How come someone from the Build Team office is posting recommendations for the Build Team under the name kerryplatman?

[rachelsatterthwaite]

Dear Administrator

Our Client, Kerry, was struggling to post the review so I offered to help out and post it on her behalf. I have her written review and consent and I've copy and pasted below:

''In the meantime, here?s some feedback for you to post on your website, or forums.

"I have been using Buildteam?s Design Service since March 2015. I?d had discussions with various architects before this, but decided to opt for a specialist firm which offered a one-stop shop and which had a lot of expertise in side returns. I?ve been impressed with Buildteam?s service. Staff are super-efficient and keen to sort out queries fast. They advised me to go for full planning permission and the process was entirely problem-free. I?m sure this was in part because of their expertise in handling these kinds of applications, and knowing what Islington Council required of them in advance."

Do let me know if you need any more.

Thanks,

Kerry ''

[Administrator]

It seems suspicious as she registered on Nov 10th at 05:26PM and posted her message 3 minutes later. She didn't struggle for long before, I assume based on what you said, giving you her login details and asking you to post the message.

Please feel free to email the team here [email protected] with her contact details so we can confirm everything and put this to rest.

[mr blue sky]

whoops

[Jeremy]

Would have been much more honest to just say "here's what a recent satisfied client had to say about us", rather than create a new username, pretending to actually be her...